Course Title: Engage in the business of creative practice

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2023

Course Code: BUSM8795C

Course Title: Engage in the business of creative practice

Important Information:

Please note that this course may have compulsory in-person attendance requirements for some teaching activities. 

To participate in any RMIT course in-person activities or assessment, you will need to comply with RMIT vaccination requirements which are applicable during the duration of the course. This RMIT requirement includes being vaccinated against COVID-19 or holding a valid medical exemption. 

Please read this RMIT Enrolment Procedure as it has important information regarding COVID vaccination and your study at RMIT: https://policies.rmit.edu.au/document/view.php?id=209

Please read the Student website for additional requirements of in-person attendance: https://www.rmit.edu.au/covid/coming-to-campus 


Please check your Canvas course shell closer to when the course starts to see if this course requires mandatory in-person attendance. The delivery method of the course might have to change quickly in response to changes in the local state/national directive regarding in-person course attendance. 

This course will be delivered through face-to-face classes, interaction with industry mentors, and the learning support material and resources in Canvas.

School: 515T Creative Industries

Campus: City Campus

Program: C6160 - Advanced Diploma of Professional Screenwriting

Course Contact: Alan Woodruff

Course Contact Phone: +61399254307

Course Contact Email: alan.woodruff@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Teacher: Kath Dolheguy

Email: katherine.dolheguy@rmit.edu.au

Nominal Hours: 70

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

Enrolment in this core course at RMIT requires you to have completed all first year courses.

Course Description

This course will build on the industry-focussed skills you've learned and practised across the program, further assisting you to market yourself as a screenwriting professional. You will research and focus upon the wider screenwriting industry, skilling up for a successful career. You will fashion your own personal development and business development plans to help sell yourself and your writing projects, and lay the business foundations for your screenwriting-related practice.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

CUAPPR603 Engage in the business of creative practice

Element:

1. Develop and apply professional work practices

Performance Criteria:

1.1 Develop a professional work ethic to support creative practice 1.2 Collaborate and communicate with other professionals about the business aspects of creative practice 1.3 Determine the skills and knowledge needed to operate as a successful creative practitioner 1.4 Evaluate own current skills and knowledge and the need for related professional development 1.5 Assess potential for using specialist expertise to complement own skills and knowledge

Element:

2. Evaluate different business practices

Performance Criteria:

2.1 Investigate different ways that creative practitioners do business 2.2 Investigate range of business practices, systems and procedures that need to be considered as part of professional creative practice 2.3 Assess relevance and implications of particular business structures 2.4 Identify physical resources required by own creative practice and how they might be accessed 2.5 Develop an overall approach to the business aspects of own practice based on evaluation of relevant information 2.6 Evaluate all aspects of own practice on an ongoing basis, as a key component of business and personal growth

Element:

3. Address financial aspects of creative practice

Performance Criteria:

3.1 Investigate financial considerations for creative practice 3.2 Research and assess different ways of commercialising work and ideas 3.3 Evaluate different ways of costing and selling creative work 3.4 Assess broader financial management requirements and their application to own practice 3.5 Develop and apply individual approaches to financial management of practice

Element:

4. Analyse the rights and obligations of creative practitioners

Performance Criteria:

4.1 Evaluate legal and moral rights and obligations of professional creative practice 4.2 Practise work and business in ways that meet legal and moral obligations 4.3 Pursue own rights as a creative practitioner consistent with own professional and ethical standards 4.4 Establish and maintain sound approaches to safety and sustainability in professional practice

Element:

5. Evaluate professional opportunities

Performance Criteria:

5.1 Evaluate work opportunities within and beyond the creative sectors 5.2 Identify and pursue potential work opportunities beyond established patterns of work 5.3 Identify and access sources of professional advice 5.4 Evaluate local and global opportunities for own practice 5.5 Identify and evaluate opportunities offered by current and emerging trends in the consumption of culture and creative products 5.6 Analyse the experiences of others as a way of discovering different opportunities


Learning Outcomes


This unit equips you to approach the business aspects of working as a creative practitioner in a professional manner.

You will have the skills to operate as a sole practitioner, in writers' cooperatives, or as freelance or contract workers. Regardless of the business model, all practitioners earning income from their practice engage with the professional business requirements for a sustainable creative practice. You will be able to plan and profit from your work as a freelance writer, or as an employee in a small or large organisation.


Details of Learning Activities

In this course, you learn through:

1. In-class activities:

  • lectures 
  • teacher directed group activities/projects 
  • class exercises to review discussions/lectures 
  • peer teaching and class presentations 
  • group discussion 
  • class exercises 

2. Out-of-class activities:

  • independent project based work 
  • writing and reading assignments 
  • online and other research 
  • independent study


Teaching Schedule

 Week 1

Initial discussion of Engage in business course, and your professional planning.

Thinking about placement. 

Group think on career path.

Intro to Industry News Summary 

CRED:

https://www.rmit.edu.au/study-with-us/levels-of-study/short-courses/job-applications

 

Please complete the short quiz: 

The Business of Show - where to find news & opportunities

 

CRED:
Indigenous Orientation

https://www.rmit.edu.au/study-with-us/levels-of-study/short-courses/womin-djeka-indigenous-orientation

Week 2

Group 1 Industry News Summary 
Industry News Summary  

Guest speaker:  Specialist Careers Consultant from RMIT Careers - 2PM

CRED: 

 https://www.rmit.edu.au/study-with-us/levels-of-study/short-courses/networking-is-working

 

 

For anyone struggling to access creds - we are advised to contact creds HELP. 

https://www.rmit.edu.au/creds/creds-help

Week 3

Group 2 Industry News Summary 
Industry News Summary  

Work on Assessment 1 - Breakout & Share

Questions 1-16

Industry organisations: your research

 

Week 4

Group 3 Industry News Summary 
Industry News Summary 

1. Your practices, systems and procedures

2. Running a professional screenwriting business

PLEASE COMPLETE BEFORE NEXT WEEK: 

https://www.rmit.edu.au/study-with-us/levels-of-study/short-courses/wil-ready

1:30PM - JESS FISHER - Student Guest - placement experience & advice

Assessment Task #1: Knowledge assessment due Mar 13

Assessment Task 1: Knowledge assessment 

Week 5

Group 4 Industry News Summary 
Industry News Summary  

Placement 2023

Guest speaker:  - Jasmira & Kimi - confirmed 

Introduction to Assessment #2 - look at some examples

CRED:

https://www.rmit.edu.au/study-with-us/levels-of-study/short-courses/defining-u

 

Week 6

Labour Day public holiday

No classes 

Week 7

Group 5 Industry News Summary 
Industry News Summary  

How to create your Skills Matrix - AT2

Fida Chada - Guest - TBC

 

Week 8

Group 6 Industry News Summary 
Industry News Summary  

How to create your personal development plan - AT2

 

Week 9

Group 7 Industry News Summary 
Industry News Summary  

How to create a Business Plan - Subject Matter Guest - Fida Chada 

 

MID SEMESTER BREAK

Fri 7 to Fri 14 Apr, inclusive.

 

Week 10

Face to Face Meetings 

Anyone not attending a meeting will work on Your Business Plan 

Week 11

Face to Face Meetings 

 

Anyone not attending a meeting will work on Your Business Plan 

AT3 - Business Plan DUE this Sunday 30th April

Week 12

Face to Face Meetings 

 

Anyone not attending a meeting will work on Your Business Plan 

 

Week 13

Face to Face Meetings 

 

AT2 Due this Sunday 14th May - Skills Matrix & Personal Development Plan 

Week 14

Final class - Wrap up - how to prepare for next semester if you are completing the WIL placement 

 

 

Student support

Your first point of contact for any support needs with your assessments should be your teacher and assessor. If you require further support, you should consider contacting the following support services at RMIT. 


Assessment adjustments

Students requiring support or adjustments for their formal assessments task or exams should contact Equitable Learning Services (ELS), for more information on the types of adjustments provided, access RMIT adjustments to assessment.


Special consideration

If unexpected circumstances affect your ability to complete an assessment you can apply for special consideration.  For more information access RMIT special consideration.


Appeals

As an RMIT student you are entitled to seek a review of decisions that impact on your studies. For more information access RMIT appeals.

 


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources

You will require access to a computer and to the internet for this course. RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems and access to specialised facilities and relevant software. You will also have access to the library resources.

The University Library has extensive resources and provides subject specialist expertise, research advice, help with referencing and support through:

The Learning Lab
https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/study-support/learning-lab

The Study Support Hub
https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/study-support/study-support-hub 


Overview of Assessment

Assessment is ongoing throughout the course. Your knowledge and understanding of course content is assessed through participation in class exercises, development of personal and business development plans, and through the application of learned skills and insights to industry research, culminating in your practical vision for your own screenwriting practice.


Assessment Tasks

Students enrolled in Vocational Education and Training qualifications are assessed for Competency. To be assessed as Competent means you have consistently demonstrated the required knowledge and skills at a standard expected in the workplace. To be assessed as Competent in this course, you will need to complete each assessment task to a satisfactory standard. You will receive feedback from the teacher at the conclusion of each assessment task.

You should refer to the assessment brief which is available through Canvas for full assessment criteria.

Assessment 1: Knowledge Assessment

Due: Week 5

This assessment is a short-answer knowledge assessment designed to assess your knowledge of engaging in the business of creative practice.

Assessment 2: Skills Matrix and Personal Development Plan

Due: Week 13

Completing this project allows you to develop and apply professional work practices and evaluate professional opportunities for developing and managing your own creative business practice.

Assessment 3: Business Development Plan

Due: Week 14

You will need to respond to two interlinked parts of this assessment. PART 1 – Complete strategic analysis and research to develop a business development plan; PART 2 – Write up your business plan in an easy to read format of your choice.

Once you have achieved competency for all assessments in a unit of competency, you will receive an overall result. If you have not completed an assessment task to a satisfactory standard, you will be given an opportunity to resubmit that task within one week of receiving feedback from your teacher. If the resubmission is deemed unsatisfactory, the matter will be referred to the Program Coordinator.

Results that apply to courses that are delivered and assessed in accordance with competency-based assessment are:

CA: Competency Achieved
NYC: Not Yet Competent
DNS: Did not Submit for Assessment


Assessment Matrix

The assessment matrix demonstrates alignment of assessment tasks with the relevant unit of competency. These matrices are available through Program Administration.

Other Information

Attendance
Your learning experience will involve class-based teaching, discussion, demonstration and practical exercises

It is strongly advised that you attend all timetabled sessions. This will allow you to engage in the required learning activities, ensuring you the maximum opportunity to complete this course successfully.

Information about your studies
You can access My Studies through the RMIT website for information about timetables, important dates, assessment dates, results and progress, Canvas etc.

https://www.rmit.edu.au/students

Assessment
Information on assessment including Special consideration, Adjustments to assessment, (eg. applying for an extension of time):

https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/assessment-and-exams/assessment

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
RMIT University has a strict policy on plagiarism and academic integrity. Please refer to the website for more information on this policy.

https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/assessment-and-exams/academic-integrity

Credit Transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning
Credit transfer is the recognition of previously completed formal learning (an officially accredited qualification).

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is an assessment process that allows you to demonstrate competence using the skills you have gained through experience in the workplace, voluntary work, informal or formal training or other life experiences.  

Please speak to your teacher if you wish to discuss applying for Credit Transfer or RPL for the unit(s) of competency addressed in this course.

https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/enrolment/apply-for-credit

Course Overview: Access Course Overview